52 per cent of all children are born out of wedlock in Londonderry

THE majority of 1,667 children born in Londonderry last year were born out of wedlock.

Over half (52 per cent) were born outside of marriage - the highest rate in Northern Ireland outside Belfast (58 per cent).

In total 24,900 live births were registered in Northern Ireland in 2009, marginally less (3 per cent) than the number of births registered in 2008. This fall in birth registrations halts a six-year (2002-2008) consecutive increase.

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These findings are contained in provisional 2009 birth statistics released last week by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

According to the data over half of all births in Belfast and Londonderry occurred outside marriage. In contrast under one quarter of births in Magherafelt Local Government District (23 per cent) occurred outside marriage.

In Londonderry 1,667 children were born. More boys (852) were born than girls (815). The birth rate here was one of the highest in the province at 15.3 births for every 1,000 people.

An average Londonderry mother experiencing the fertility rates witnessed here in 2009 during their child-bearing years could expect to have 2.06 children in their lifetime.

Across the entire Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) area 4,209 children were born in total. Once again more boys (2,181) were born than girls (2,028).